New Hall-of-Famers

Libby Hysell Carlton ’03, Tony Brownlee ’02 and Andrew Paulson ’98 were inducted into the Central College Athletics Hall of Honor at Homecoming in September

Three former all-America student-athletes who are making an impact in their post-graduate careers are the newest members of the Central College Athletics Hall of Honor. They were inducted during the college’s Homecoming in September.

Established in 2002, Central’s Hall of Honor recognizes exceptional student-athletes, coaches or administrators who have also distinguished themselves in life after graduation through service and leadership. Nominees must have graduated or served as a Central coach/administrator at least 15 years earlier.

TONY BROWNLEE ’02

’02 Tony Brownlee

All-American track and field sprinter Brownlee was a two-time NCAA Division III 4×400-meter relay champion (2001, 2002) and a six-time all-America honoree in the 4×100 and 4×400-meter relays and long jump. He was a 20-time Iowa Conference place winner and three-time champ, 2002 team MVP and team co-captain. The Dutch captured two league outdoor titles with Brownlee, with three top-10 national team finishes, taking third in 2000. He was also a two-time letter winner for the Dutch in football as a running back and wide receiver.

A Villisca, Iowa, native, Brownlee served as student senate president and as a student representative to the college’s board of trustees. An NCAA postgraduate scholar, Brownlee earned a master’s in business arts degree at Iowa State University. Brownlee is executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Kingland Companies in Clear Lake, Iowa, and also serves with numerous nonprofit boards and local community organizations, including the Clear Lake School Board.

LIBBY HYSELL CARLTON ’03

Libby Hysell Carlton ’03

Softball pitcher and Central’s only Honda Division III Female Athlete of the Year Carlton led the Dutch to the 2003 NCAA Division III softball championship.

A three-time all-America honoree and 2003 team and Iowa Conference MVP, Carlton was the NFCA Division III player of the year after posting a 17-0 record with 10 shutouts and a stingy 0.41 earned run average with 148 strikeouts. She received the 2003 Honda Award as the nation’s top Division III female student-athlete. A three-time first-team all-conference pick and three-time all-America honoree, she was a four-time NCAA tournament participant, twice reaching the national finals. Central won three league titles with Carlton.

She posted a career 70-16 mark with a school-record 0.70 ERA, a record 33 shutouts and four no-hitters. A Colfax, Iowa, native now living in Grimes, Carlton was inducted into the Iowa Girls High School Athletics Union Softball Hall of Fame in 2013.

ANDREW PAULSEN ’98

Andrew Paulsen ’98

Two-sport all-American as a football defensive back and track and field sprinter, a football team freshman MVP, Vermeer Loyalty Award winner and two-year co-captain, Paulsen ranks among Central’s all-time leaders in season and career interceptions and punt return yards (631). He was a two-time league champion and NCAA playoff participant.

The 1996 track and field team freshman MVP and 1998 co-captain, the Waverly-Shell Rock grad helped the Dutch finish fourth in the 1998 Division III 4×400-meter relay. He also was a 4×100 NCAA qualifier and a nine-time conference place winner in the relays, sprints and long jump. Central won three league team titles with Paulsen, placing eighth nationally in 1998.

Paulsen played semipro football in Germany, then received master’s of public health and doctor of pharmacy degrees from the University of Iowa. He’s a nuclear pharmacist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.